Virus
by TheDudeLordOfFantasy
Summary: Chalie has never been good at telling people whats wrong... but what happens when time is of the essence? Don finds his brother and can only feel helpless... CHAPT. 9 IS UP! set between seasons 1&2 back when Charlie was the quiet angsty one
1. Tuesday 6:25pm

Disclaimer: I don't own the Eppes family or any other character from Numb3rs.

A/N: this fic idea has been on my mind for awhile now and I've been itching to type it out ever since I found my medical encyclopedias. This disease just interests me so…

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Tuesday 6:25pm

It wasn't like Don didn't like working with his brother, but it made him feel worthless at times when Charlie could always provide the right answer and he was the clueless one. Don liked it better when the numbers didn't always come into play and he was the smart one and Charlie was left staring blankly.

Thoughts of how his brother could beat him constantly at poker and chess swirled through his mind, but then twisting back against that gale were thoughts of his little brother being clueless when Amita looked at him and not always being able to adjust to the world of lying people.

His naive little brother didn't deserve to be so wrapped up in things other than those that would help him find a wife, and give Alan the grandchildren he'd been waiting for since they both graduated from college.

So while thoughts of his younger brother were swirling through his head he drove onward through the dark LA streets to his childhood home; eager to make sure that his foreboding suspicions, that arrived to him during the day, were nothing more than an over active imagination.

His headlights shown through the darkness and landed on his brother's garage. He put the car in park and turned to key. The walkway was lightly lit with the porch lamp and he kept his head down against the wind that threatened to lower his spiky hair.

He opened the door knowing that he was never needed to knock there. The warmth of the craftsman home hit him full blast warming his wind-chilled face and limbs. He could hear his father busy in the kitchen. Pots were clanging and something smelled deliciously like Alan's pot roast and freshly mashed potatoes.

He took off his coat and hung it on the hook, then walked into the kitchen to find that his surmise was true. Pot roast, potatoes, and green beans were on the menu for that night.

"Hey, Pop," he said cheerfully upon entering.

"Oh, Don," Alan said, turning from where he stood at the stove mashing the potatoes. "Charlie told me you'd be stopping by for supper. You're a little early though."

"Charlie said he'd go over some equations with me. Is he upstairs?"

"Should be," Alan said returning to the potatoes and adding a bit of butter into the mixture. "I haven't seen him since he came home today. He looked a little out of it, but you know your brother. When he's working on something that's all he focuses on."

"Yea…" Don said quietly thinking back to when he'd been with him earlier today. "Well, I'm going to head up there and see if he's got anything for me."

"Don't take too long Donnie, dinners going to be ready in ten."

"Alright, Dad," Don said heading out of the warm room and up the dimly lit stairs.

So his father noticed Charlie's unfocussed behavior as well. If he hadn't been around his brother for as long as he had he might've just shaken off his spacey-ness, but this time seemed different to him. He didn't seem to have the preoccupied personality that he'd become so accustomed to, now it just seemed like his brother was blurred and unfocused.

As he approached his door he knocked slightly not really expecting an answer. He usually never got one, and wasn't sure why he kept going through the same ritual of knocking only to be left unanswered.

He opened the door quietly and stepped inside. The main light in the room was off but the window shades were open, casting red and gold colors into his brothers unorganized room. He saw his brother's form bent over his desk with his head resting on top of an open notebook and a pile of papers.

Charlie's right arm was under his head and his left arm was limply covering his face, which was looking away from the sun. His eyes were closed and his breathing deep and harsh.

"Charlie," Don said quietly walking to where his brother was seated at his desk. "Charlie?" Don said louder getting worried at the lack of any response.

He put a hand to his forehead and found a high fever radiating against his cool hand. That got Charlie to stir slightly.

Don knelt next his brother's chair and looked at his eyes as they opened slightly.

"Don?" Charlie croaked. His damp eyes shone dimly of pain and fever.

"Hey, buddy."

It looked like he wanted to raise his head to look at his older brother but let out a small weak groan as he found it painful.

"Shut the blinds… light hurts…" he mumbled quietly as his eyes clenched shut.

Don quickly got up and shut the blinds leaving the room only lit by where the sun got through the cracks. He returned to his brother's side to see his eyes barely open once more.

The pain as more evident now…

"Charlie, tell me what's wrong," Don demanded gently.

"It's ok… not too bad… in the dark…"

Don almost expected an answer like that. Charlie had never been good at letting others know when things hurt. He was always the quiet one in school who never acted like the words struck deep enough to chisel away at his soul.

"No, Charlie, you're not ok. You need to tell me what's wrong, and you need to tell me now…"

Don thought he knew what was wrong with him and if he was right he needed to be taken to the hospital immediately. He'd only seen one case of it while he was away at college. One of his fellow students died because his treatment came too late. He couldn't let that be Charlie…

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A/N: I have up to chapter 5 written but I really wanna finish NATP before I get all of it out so… I just wanted to throw out the 1st chapt of this to see what people think so send me reviews. I wanna get some feed-back on this!

Thankies!

TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	2. Sunday 4:12pm

Disclaimer: I don't own the Eppes family or any other character from Numb3rs. I don't claim ownership for anything.

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Sunday 4:12pm

"I hate doctors," Don heard Charlie mumble to himself.

Don knew that Charlie never liked being sick. He never relaxed like the doctors would tell him to but would continue to work usually through the late hours and sleep through the morning to make their parents think he actually stopped his work.

Only Don knew about that though…

Don hated being sick as well and it was Charlie who used to bring soup up to him when he wasn't allowed to leave his bed. He always came into the room with a wide goofy Charlie-like grin on his face. He always liked to feel like he was helping Don out in some way.

Don usually told him to go away when he tried to make him smile. He didn't want to be happy while he was sick, because like so many others he felt like he was missing out on so much. Like baseball…

Other times Don would pretend to be sick, like so many other children his age, just to miss out on school and the work that came with it. Charlie always came home with his homework and class-work explaining everything he missed.

He always did it with a smile.

Don didn't remember doing the things Charlie did for him while he was sick very often, and when he did it wasn't out of his own freewill. Don was hoping that he wasn't the same Don anymore that grew up with Charlie. He was hoping that he'd changed enough to appreciate his little brother.

That's why he brought him to the doctor. To try and show Charlie that he cared enough about him to force him to look at his health. Alan would've taken him but what grown man would enjoy being taken to a doctor's appointment by their parents? So Don took him because he knew that Charlie would probably skip out on it if he had the opportunity to.

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A/N: Next Chap up soon! I swear it this time. I'm planning on having it up by tomorrow or the next day.

I know this is a very short chapter but that is because of my format for this fic.

Please review they are what help me keep going when I think my work is an abomination to this fandom. Thankies!

TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	3. Tuesday 6:36pm

Disclaimer: I own nothing…

A/N: Told you I'd have it up soon!

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Tuesday 6:36pm

Charlie had shut his eyes once again and his breathing became harsher. His forehead, Don noticed was sticky with sweat and glistened in the dim light.

"Charlie," Don said loudly bringing his brother back. His eyes opened slowly and he peered wearily at his brother. "You need to tell me what's wrong."

"Mmm tired…" he mumbled.

"That's not good enough Charlie. You need to tell me every little thing that's wrong," Don said trying to keep his brothers attention on him, but could see that he was getting nowhere.

He had to change tactics.

"Do you remember when we were little and I always told you to stop whining when you got hurt? Remember when I told you that a scrapped elbow and a few black eyes were nothing to whine about? After that you never whined to me again. You never complained when you were picked on or beat up even though I know you wanted me to help… you never told me when those things happened…afraid to be nuisance…"

Charlie didn't answer, maybe because he couldn't, but Don saw the recognition in his eyes.

"Well, now Charlie I want you to whine to me. I want you to tell me how you feel… where it hurts… how bad it hurts… I want you to whine to me like the five-year-old I hated to listen to. I want you to be a five-year old, Charlie… can you do that for me?"

Don had to stop because he could feel his eyes start to swim and watched as his brother's already damp eyes become even damper.

"It hurts…" Charlie said weakly the pain now clearly visible in his voice. "My head… I can't move my neck… or back…"

The symptoms were almost positively leading to Don's worst fear for his brother.

He gently lifted his brother's shirt to expose his abdomen and back. He tried to hide his fear as he saw a dark reddish-purple rash splotched over his brother's pale skin.

Charlie bit his lower lip and made a small noise of pain.

"We need to take you to the hospital now."

Photophobic, headache, rash, fever, painful neck and back…

All the signs were telling Don that his brother might die if he didn't get help soon, because he had seen this happen before.

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A/N: tee hee hee I am a tad bit evil now aren't I? Next chapt up in a bit! Remember to review for me! 

TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	4. Tuesday 3:24pm

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of anything in this Numb3rs fandom.

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Tuesday 3:24

Don had spent almost the entire day with Charlie listening to him explain different theories and techniques that might help him to solve a large case on LA bank robberies. Megan found it all very interesting and sat for some time in the room nodding her head and giving small comments in between. Colby sat leaning foreword with his mouth agape, dumbfounded that anyone could possess so much knowledge. He eventually left with Megan when David came in and announced that there was a new lead.

Don had stayed with Charlie though.

For some reason he couldn't bring himself to leave.

Something felt off.

He kept having a chilling feeling that something bad might happen to one of them. Nothing was wrong with any of his family members that he knew of. He knew that Charlie went to the doctor a few days ago because of a bad headache he'd had for almost a week. Turned out to be nothing but a small sinus infection and he was taking antibiotics for it.

Charlie seemed a bit off.

He looked frailer…weaker…

Dark circles were under his eyes, like he'd been unable to sleep. It wasn't too unusual for his little brother to look tired, but it still unnerved him.

As Charlie was packing up his bags to leave, Don had to say something to him.

"You feeling alright, buddy?"

"Huh…" Charlie had looked up startled. "Uh…yea."

"You sure?"

"I'm just a little tired, Don," Charlie said slinging his nag over his shoulder and smiling. "Nothing a little sleep won't cure. So are you coming over for dinner tonight?"

"You can count on it," Don said trying to send a small smile back.

A trick of the eye or of the light…

"I'll work more on these equations and I'll see if I get any further on them tonight." Charlie patted his bag.

"That's great, Charlie." He felt like saying that he didn't have to but knew his brother wouldn't listen anyway.

"So I'll definitely be seeing you tonight, right?" Charlie said, now standing directly in front of the doorway.

"You bet."

"Remember dinners at seven," Charlie called out the door.

"How could I forget?" Don mumbled to himself and went on shuffling his papers around on his desk.

Charlie seemed fine. Maybe he was just tired…

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A/N: Thankies for giving this fic a chance!

TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	5. Tuesday 6:40pm

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: A couple people have expressed Charlie's OOC-ness and I do have my reasons for portraying him as thus. I started this fic a looong while ago, back during season one, where he was shy, unconfident, and refused to tell his brother his feelings. Season One and the beginnings of Two showed a much less outgoing Charlie who worshipped his brother, and a Don who didn't want his little brother anywhere near his FBI life. Throughout the seasons Charlie has grown to be more like Don, and Don has digressed.

So with that said...you may continue...

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Tuesday 6:42pm

He got up and rushed to his brother's bedroom doorway.

"Dad!" he yelled down the stairway. "Dad!" his voice got louder as the knowledge that this was an emergency began to sink into his whirling mind.

His father appeared at the bottom of the stairway in a red checkered apron. His face was startled and he held a wooden spoon in his right hand.

"Donnie, what's going on?" he asked sharply.

"Start the car. Charlie's sick," Don said looking at him with weighty eyes. "We need to get him to the hospital _now_."

"Wha…"

"Hurry!" he snapped at his father not wanting to play 20 questions. He'd seen cases like Charlie's back at college and knew how quickly it could set in and how quickly it could become fatal.

He went back to his brother's side to find that his eyes were fully closed and his breathing was grated. He swept his brother's sweat matted hair off his forehead as he prepared to lift him.

"Charlie," he urged his brother quietly to awaken.

"Mmmm…"

"Charlie we need to go now. You need to help me though, okay?"

A flutter of his eyelids was good enough for Don who swung his brother's limp left arm over his shoulders and heaved him to his feet. He felt Charlie dragging his feet in what would've been normal steps up until they reached the hallway.

Don felt his brother's body sag and become completely lifeless as he tried to keep him off the ground.

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A/N: Hate me if you will for the shortness and lateness… my apologies… just been a tough time lately… next chapter will mostly appear soon… hopefully…

TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	6. Saturday 8:50pm

Disclaimer: I own nothing…

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Saturday 8:50pm

Charlie had done it again. He'd come through with a few fancy equations and helped solve the latest case... a woman and her daughter were proof of that. No shots had been fired to assure their safety and the man responsible for their kidnapping was in custody…it was a good day.

Recently there had been many cases that had gone terribly wrong in the end. Death…even the death of the bad guy…is never something someone should be proud about.

Don wasn't proud.

It had to have been the sudden success of rectifying their latest case that had everyone is such good spirits. Smiles were found everywhere and on everyone. Jokes and witty comments were being thrown around like fireworks making their celebration even more joyous. The entire team had decided to go to the nearest bar to celebrate that night. Facing the facts, it was an unanimous decision that they all needed the night out.

Charlie had been in the office when Don, David, Megan, and Colby had returned from the field and his brother had him tag along as well. After all, he had done plenty of mathematical tracking to earn him the right to celebrate with them.

Maybe it was because of the excessive euphoria that made Don not notice how quiet his brother was around them. He was smiling pleasantly around at everyone and took sips from his glass of water, but he didn't throw in any mathematical references or try to join in with the team ruckus. He seemed to be lost in his own world for most of the night.

Colby slung at comment to David, which earned a slap to the head from Megan and caused Don to choke on his beer when his brother nudged his shoulder.

"Yea, buddy," Don said trying to calm his laughter enough to speak.

"I think I'm gonna go." Charlie was slinging his backpack over his shoulders and started to stand.

"Hey…you okay?" Don noticed that his brother seemed a little pale. He also couldn't understand why anyone would want to leave such an accepting and intoxicatingly happy atmosphere.

"Yea," Charlie said with a slight sigh. "I just have a bit of a headache and still have a lot of papers to grade."

"Well, alright. You need a ride?"

"No, no, no," Charlie said a bit rushed, not wanting to take Don away from his team. "I'll catch a cab. See you tomorrow?"

"Yea, buddy."

Don felt his phone vibrating from its place on his belt, there was no way he would've heard it ring with all the noise around him. He answered it with the typical "Agent Eppes" and learned that they had just received a new case. There was a long string of bank robberies that had just been connected with one another and Don's team had been called in on it.

Don didn't want to believe that the mood his team held was about to end so quickly, like popping a balloon.

Sighing Don looked back up wanting to continue talking with Charlie, instead of breaking the news to his team, but he found that his brother had already gone.

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A/N: Ok trying to pick this back up. I'm determined to get these old fics finished… hopefully before summer's end I will have these completed. Reviews are appreciated.

TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	7. Tuesday 6:48pm

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A/N: The ending of this chapter has been revised due to a very good point made by one of my favorite reviewers Patty. So very sorry for the major delay.

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Tuesday 6:48pm

Alan had come back inside to find Don struggling to keep Charlie upright without falling down the stairs. Rushing to his sons he wrapped his youngest's arm around his sturdy shoulders, as Don did the same with his other. Taking one step at a time was painful for the two older Eppes'…they didn't have the time to take their time.

"What's wrong with him?" Alan's voice was tense, trying to sound calm in case his youngest could hear.

Charlie's dragging feet were trying to keep up with their quick paces, but his mind kept slipping in and out of consciousness every time he was jerked forward. The hardwood was scuffing as his shoes were roughly dragged across.

"I think it's meningitis…"

Alan had left the front door open and it was hastily slammed shut. Neither bothered locking it.

"…and if I'm right then he needed to be in the hospital hours ago…"

They made it down the steep front steps and out onto the dusk covered front lawn. The car was running quietly in the driveway, and they began to make the journey towards it when what was left of Charlie's steadiness gave out as his upper half sharply jerked forward. Alan and Don almost dropped him. There he vomited whatever he last ate…possibly breakfast knowing Charlie's habits.

His carriers waited a few precious moments before Alan climbed into the back seat leaving Don to support his limp brother. His father turned and hastily grasped Charlie under his arms, and with Don's help they lay his across the back seat.

Sitting with his son's head in his lap he tried thinking of another possible explanation for this…but the heat radiating from his fevered form kept bringing him back to the same answer. He stroked the dark curls away from his forehead not liking how intensely they contrasted with the paleness of his skin.

Don made the tires squeal out into the street…

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TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	8. Tuesday 8:06pm

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I just want to point out that this fic is improperly titled. I decided to use the more deadly form of this infection, which happens to be the bacterial form opposed to the less potent viral form. Sorry for any confusion, I just don't feel like changing the title…even if I could think of one.

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Tuesday 7:48

They confirmed Don's suspicions with a hasty spinal tap after being quickly admitted into the Emergency Room. If they waited for the test results to come back it would've been too late, so they administered antibiotics before they were certain it was the best treatment. Don and the doctor's intuition had been right though… but even then…did any of it make a difference?

Don took upon himself the duty of informing Amita of Charlie's precarious situation. He didn't expect it to go well, who wants to be the bearer of bad news? There was silence on the other end, before Larry's voice finally appeared on through the receiver. Apparently Amita had handed the phone off unable to question her mentors older brother.

They had arrived not even twenty minutes later, Larry paler than usual and Amita with red rimmed chocolate eyes.

Alan stood to greet them along with Don, but where there might once have been smiles there was nothing now. Demands of news, and tentatively asked questions… It was then that as his father relayed all that he could on his son's unsound condition that Don remembered something the doctor had mentioned before, when he was first admitted.

"Amita." He said her name quietly, but all three looked up at him in response. He swallowed he didn't know how to phrase what he was about to ask. "Well…the doctor said something about the spread of this form of meningitis and…I just want to be sure that you or anyone else don't catch it…so…"

They were all still looking at him wondering where he was going with his ramblings.

"Are you two…intimate?"

The response he received wasn't the one he expected.

Both Alan and Larry's heads whipped around to look at her. She sat unmoving for a second before her hand came flying to her mouth as she tried to suppress an uncontrollable giggle. She sat there with a covering her confused smile for a second before she bent double into a hysterical fit of rampant coughing laughs.

"Are we intimate?" she repeated straightening once more.

"No…" She shook her head slightly, as Don watched her warily, she seemed close to a break down.

"No…" she repeated as her haphazard smile faded.

"No…no…no…oh god…oh god Charlie."

Her eyes then finally brimmed over and Alan, being the closest Eppes to her, took her gently into his arms as she sobbed into his chest.

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TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a. Kathleen


	9. Wednesday 11:05am

Disclaimer: I own nothing…

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Wednesday 11:05am

It had been more than a day without any change. His fever wouldn't break, and he had yet to regain consciousness without some form of delirium.

In short…it wasn't looking good.

Don kept running the complications through his head, problems the doctor told them could arise at any moment due to lack of treatment. Brain damage…spinal damage…vision, hearing, and organ failure…he could end up losing his hands and feet due to lack of circulation. The antibiotics used had stopped the bacteria from doing more damage but what was already done to the genius couldn't be reversed.

It was a long night for everyone involved. They sat in the waiting room diligently waiting for any sort of news. They weren't allowed to see him until his condition stabilized.

How did none of them notice this downward spiral? The doctor had explained that some cases of meningitis come about suddenly, in mere hours. It was ridiculous to think that he or his father could stand by Charlie, a grown man, at all hours of the day, protecting him. Don couldn't help but think it…

They were allowed into his room, one at a time. Alan went first and came out pale and shaky, sitting down heavily upon his return. So naturally Don took his observation skills and used them to try and prepare himself for Charlie's condition. Tried to prepare himself for what he would see when he went into that room. He thought he had ready himself for what he would find behind the glass, when in reality nothing he could've done would have left him less stunned.

There were monitors everywhere, that was his first thought upon entering. The heart monitor was emitting a fast paced, yet steady beep, that was mixed in with the many other sounds in the room. He could barely see his brother under all the equipment, but when his eyes finally fell on him…he found himself unable to move any closer.

That was his brother? That small, pale, creature? That was Charlie?

There was a mask covering up most of his face, but the part that was showing was pale and dabbled with sweat. He saw that most of the curls were swept back, probably his fathers doing, but one still managed to escape and fell into the center of his forehead.

Slowly he made his way to the bed and brushed the curl back in place. He hadn't realized how close he was until he pulled back. He'd never known his brother to be this silent in all his life knowing him. It was…unsettling… His brother was only ever silent when sick... illness caused him to be a different person entirely.

"Charlie…" he didn't know why he started talking, and immediately snapped his mouth back shut. Charlie couldn't hear him, he was sure of it but… "Charlie, it's Don."

He didn't know what there was to gain by relaying this information to the obviously unconscious man before him, and it was then that he felt more ridiculous then he ever had. What could he hope to accomplish? Words could do nothing for his brother? What could he hope to say? Did he think that his brother would awaken just like that for him?

He was about to turn and leave, but stopped himself as he noticed his brothers eye lids twitch. Maybe it was a trick of the poor lighting or even possibly a trick of his mind, but Don swore he saw it.

And then he swore he heard it, "Don…" If anything it was smaller than a whisper that was mixed with the whooshing of the ventilator, but still it was something he could hope on.

"Yea, buddy, I'm here, and Dad, Amita, and Larry are outside." He took a deep breath, not knowing what to say. "I keep thinking of high school, Charlie. I can't help it. You would always run to me when you were being picked on or needed someone to talk to. I was mad at you because of how mom and dad babied you. I thought you were whiny, and lets face it, you were but…you had a right to be. I…"

Don swallowed, as he realized that he had tears in his eyes. He took his brothers lifeless hand, which was surprisingly cold compared to the rest of him, and squeezed gently.

"I'm sorry that I never listened to you. Sorry that I didn't understand, and I know that it doesn't mean much now but…I can't help it. I need to say it. I love you buddy… it's taken me this long to say it…"

He gave his brothers limp hand a squeeze as he bowed his head.

'don't let me be too late…'

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TheDudeLordOfFantasy a.k.a Kathleen


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